


Spirit of Succession

by SkullBoss



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Background Relationships, Canon Compliant, Drinking to Cope, Family, Friendship, Gen, Loss of Parent(s), Moving On, Politics, Post-Birthright, Post-Canon, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright, Takumi being a jerk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-12 05:52:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7087828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkullBoss/pseuds/SkullBoss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He never expected the crown to fall to him. King Leo has received the burden of rebuilding a struggling country after losing two of the people dearest to him. Post-Birthright.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Burden of Kingship

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted on Fanfiction.net under the name FurLinedSlime.

“From here forward, let it be known that Garon, King of Nohr, is to be succeeded by Prince Leo, the second prince and rightful heir to the throne. King Leo will rule over Nohr and guide us past the end of this harrowing war.” Those were the words uttered by Arthur, of all people, as Leo stood at his coronation ceremony. “Please, my liege. Accept this crown as a symbol of your reign.”

Leo never expected the crown to go on to him, but he took the crown as was customary and put it atop his head, giving Arthur a clear thanks as he accepted it. The crown felt strange atop his thick hair. All Leo could think of was how perfectly it had fit his father and how perfectly it would have fit Xander.

But both of them were gone now, and Camilla knew she would never be able to rule a country. That left Leo as the only one able to accept the crown. But it mattered not what Leo’s private thoughts were. He had to give the people the image they needed- that of a proud, confident king ready to lead them out of the dark. Even if it was only a mask, it was one he had to put on so his kingdom did not collapse even further.

“As king, I vow not to repeat the mistakes of my predecessors and to instead lead Nohr into an era of peace and prosperity.” Two things that Nohr had not known since Garon had been replaced by… whatever the hideous monstrosity that Leo saw in Azura’s crystal ball was. And two things that would probably never come about one king’s reign, assuming he was never replaced by an inhuman abomination like the one that had replaced his father.

A great applause erupted from the audience, with the loudest cheers coming from Niles, Odin, and Camilla. The Hoshidan royal family was also there- Ryoma, who carried the formal demeanor that had been expected of a king (Or Xander), Queen Scarlet, who appeared to be the only one in her element (After all, she was a Nohrian by birth), Hinoka, who was surprisingly genuine in her applause, Takumi, who obviously only there to return the favor of Leo attending his brother’s coronation as shown by his half-hearted applause (Although with a wife who hated Nohr as much as his, that was to be expected), Sakura, who he could barely see among the crowd due to her short stature, and… Corrin.

Leo had almost forgiven Corrin for siding with his birth family, which was made even easier by the revelation that their father had been replaced by a power hungry demon long ago, but there were still things he could never forget. The death of thousands of his countrymen, the death of Odin’s best friend Laslow, the death of Xander, and what hurt most of all, the death of Elise. _And all Corrin can give me is an obligatory apology and a statement that it was unavoidable._

Leo noted to himself that the applause was dying down and made a motion to end it nevertheless. After all, he had to appear in control. _Even if I’m just a child sitting on his father’s throne_. Leo cleared his throat and mentally recited his speech one last time.

“Thank you to both my fellow Nohrians and to our guests from Hoshido for joining me on this day. While we have lost much in the past year, we have reached a goal that our fallen would be proud of: peace. Even in triumph against our armies, Hoshido has agreed to make us their allies and supply us with food, water, and an open border.” Of course, those statements were only partially true. King Ryoma was much more progressive than his predecessors, but Nohr was still a starving nation and Ryoma was much more interested in cleaning up his homeland than helping his starving neighbors.

“With the needs of our people sated, we can attend to the needs of our allies. Cheve has joined Hoshido, but the rest of our vassals will be remaining with us. While they are still part of our proud kingdom, they will be granted more autonomy and rights. It was wrong to squeeze these lands dry of their freedom and I shall do my best as king to maintain peace inside and outside the borders of Nohr.” Of course it was wrong from a moral standpoint. But the Hoshidans would never willingly give their resources to Nohr, so what else were they to do? But alas, Hoshido had required different treatment of vassals as part of their peace treaty under demand by Queen Scarlet.

Another applause came from the audience. He let himself smile a little bit. Most of the applause came from Niles and Odin, who were the ones who knew most of how much Leo was suffering. Odin was starting to cry. Not because Leo’s speech was particularly emotional, but because it would be his last time attending a royal event. He was bound to return to his homeland soon. Leo couldn’t help but feel a tinge of resentment now that Odin was leaving in his liege’s time of need. But Arthur was lined up as his replacement and despite his bad luck, he was one of Elise’s best friends. That alone meant he could be trusted.

Leo let Ryoma walk down the center of the throne room to shake his hand as was appropriate for kings of allied countries. Leo expected a quick handshake and for him to walk away, only to be surprised by the surprisingly warm handshake he received instead.

“Here is to a long era of peace between our countries, friend.”

Leo was surprised by the genuine warmth coming from the King of Hoshido’s words, but he still didn’t feel any differently about his former enemy. He was all talk. Nohr was still starving, the Hoshidan nobles still hated his people, and merchants drained his people dry of any money. But Leo remembered his mask. The mask of a king.

“Well said, your highness.” Leo returned the handshake firmly and let Ryoma return into the sea of people. The words were said with little emotion. After all, he knew it was all empty talk. The next conference he had with the Hoshidan royals was about a border dispute in Cheve, not anything concerning the feeding of his people.

Arthur spoke up again. “This concludes the coronation of King Leo of Nohr! May he reign forever!”

After one more thunderous applause, Leo walked out of the throne room to take his place at the head of the largest table in the Castle’s great hall for the coming banquet. The crowd from the throne room exited into the hall as he took his seat at the table.

Leo should’ve been happy. He was surrounded by friends and his remaining family. Niles and Odin were at his right and left hands, Odin with his wife Selena. Arthur and his wife Effie were not far away and sitting across from them were Camilla and her wife Beruka. Even Corrin was there. Maybe a long time ago, Leo would have been happy to see him. Hell, Corrin even thought he was happy right then. But it was all still a mask in front of the Hoshidan royals, who unfortunately shared a table with him. Leo wondered when he had become so synonymous with the mask he wore and the lies he wove.

“So, how’s being a king? I say you’re the best man for the job.” Niles broke the silence at the table, surprisingly without any innuendo.

“Yes, before I return to the eldritch realm from whence I came, I wish to know what state of affairs milord is in.” Odin chimed.

Leo half-expected Camilla to say something, but he knew she was still torn up about pushing her burden onto Leo. He remembered why he wore his mask. It wasn’t just for his people and it sure as hell wasn’t for the hypocrites in Hoshido or his duplicitous brother Corrin. It was for his friends and the family that remained. He did not want his burden to become theirs. He couldn’t make the lives of others worse just because he couldn’t find happiness.

“It’s a great shame that we have lost Xander,” Leo responded. Corrin tensed up slightly at that. You were the one who murdered him. “But I feel that I will be able to pick up the pieces and make our kingdom shine once more.”

The dinner was mostly quiet after that. Leo’s favorite food had been served and for that Leo was certainly grateful. He’d have to thank his cooks the next morning. But Leo found himself drinking much more than he was eating. But what he drank wasn’t his usual favorite. It was the only thing that could make him forget about how close he was to crying. The only thing to make him forget that he should’ve been attending a banquet for Xander. The only thing to make him forget that he was placed in charge of a dying country at the age of eighteen. It was wine. And he drank a lot, for it was liquor or tears. And tears would destroy the fragile mask he knew he was doomed to don.


	2. Another Friend Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After becoming king, Leo has a brief moment where he is allowed to express himself. However, said moment is the departure of yet another person close to his heart.

Leo’s eyes slowly flickered open in the morning sunlight. _Morning already?_ Leo found himself not wanting to get up, even more so than he usually did. While Leo’s previous chamber was already one of the most luxurious rooms in Nohr, it was nothing compared to the King’s bedroom. The bed was even larger, the mattress even softer, and the pillows more comforting. Every part of the bed was quite literally tailored for kings by the finest of Nohr and its vassals, colored in beautiful shades of royal purple, rich red, and pitch black. But no matter how comfortable his bed was, his head still hurt like hell.

Maybe he shouldn’t have had so much to drink. Last night had been one of the better nights after the war, even if he had to repress his feelings even more than usual. Other than Takumi and Oboro’s stiffness for the entire event, the Hoshidan royals were kind, especially Princess Sakura. Even her husband, Saizo, who was known for how many Nohrians he had killed, seemed to hold no visible grudge against the new king. Of course, the visitor he had been happiest to see was his brother Corrin and his wife. He had not seen them since his visit to Hoshido for Ryoma’s coronation and he knew that they were just as happy to see him as he was them. And the food. Oh, the food. It was Jakob’s first time cooking in Nohr since the end of the war. Jakob was known as the best cook a royal could ask for, so enjoying his cooking even if only for one night was a true treat.

But even through all that, Leo could not stop drinking. He had thankfully developed a high enough alcohol tolerance so that he didn’t make a fool out of himself on his first night as king, but no amount of tolerance would make the next morning and accompanying headache any better. However, he knew it was better to forget his emotions for a night and come somewhat close to enjoying himself than it was to make a sobbing mess of himself in front of the Hoshidan royal family and all the important nobles in his kingdom.

Some things are never pleasant, mornings for Leo being among them. Leo groggily pulled himself out of bed and noticed a cup of coffee left by one of the servants. He looked around, but noticed the servant had already left. Leo downed it pretty quickly. It had become cold, but it was enough to wake him up.

Leo bathed, dressed, and made sure nothing he was wearing was inside out. Now that he was king, his image was even more important than before. The crown still felt strange atop his head and he was still not used to it. He considered leaving it behind, but he knew that he couldn’t leave his quarters without it. Leo knew his way around the castle and although the walk to go outside was longer, it was no problem.

Leo, still mildly groggy, was able to make it to his destination on time. He was to visit Wilhelm Square, one of the nicer areas in the dark city that was Windmire. It was usually a place for upscale outdoor social gatherings, but on that day it was to be used for a less happy event. It was there that he and Camilla would be seeing off Odin and Selena.

Leo knew they were bound to return to their homeland after the war, but it still hurt seeing them with their chariot as they loaded in their remaining possessions. The chariot originally belonged to Leo himself, but he wanted to give his friend one last gift from Nohr. After all, he would have King Garon’s transportation for himself now.

Besides Leo, Odin, and Selena, a few others were present. Namely, they were Camilla, Beruka, and Niles. Nobody else would attend, as Odin insisted that the departure of him and his wife was kept in utmost privacy. Camilla was giving Selena a tearful goodbye hug while Beruka just stood awkwardly behind her waiting for her chance to say goodbye.

Leo walked up to Odin and finally decided to say something. “So, I guess this is goodbye.”

Odin looked a bit upset, much more than any other person going home would be. “I guess you’re right.” He was lacking his usual theatrical tone, which came as a surprise to Leo.

“Well, just know that wherever you go, you’ll always be my friend. Thank you for standing by my side for the few years we’ve known each other.” Leo was beginning to tear up. He didn’t try to prevent it. There was no need to wear his mask when only those dearest to him were present.

At this point, tears began to fall from Odin’s eyes. “Th-thank you… Leo.” Odin couldn’t hold in his tears anymore and immediately embraced Leo while bawling his eyes out. “I’m going to miss you so much!”

“Odin, if you want to stay, this was no trouble to arrange. You’re always welcome in Nohr.” Leo returned Odin’s embrace and gave him a strong pat on the back, his own tears flowing freely.

Odin let go of Leo and wiped the tears from his face. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. I made a promise to everyone back home that I would return. I can’t break their hearts.”

 _Like you’re doing to mine?_ Leo knew Odin didn’t want to hurt his feelings and couldn’t bring himself to anger. But he still couldn’t escape the heartache from saying goodbye. Leo let the tears flow as he began to softly cry. “Well, you go home and make good on your promise. Thank you again for standing by my side through everything.” _Except for me becoming king and losing the war._ Leo suppressed his angry thoughts and shook Odin’s hand one last time.

Niles had been silent throughout Leo and Odin’s moment, but finally spoke up. “Hey, don’t forget about me.”

Odin let out a snort of laughter through his tears. “Ha! As if I ever could. C’mere, you!” Odin dragged Niles into a brotherly embrace. Niles looked uncomfortable at first, a rare sight on the jaded and eccentric outlaw’s face. But he returned the embrace and gave Odin one last goodbye.

Camilla finished saying her goodbyes to Selena and Beruka finally got her chance to give a quick goodbye of her own. Leo walked up to Selena to bid her farewell. After all, she was the wife of one of his closest friends.

“Well, thank you for taking care of my sister. And promise me you’ll take good care of Odin when you get home.”

Selena lacked her usual snarky edge when she replied. “Taking care of Camilla was no problem. And Odin? I’ll be taking good care of him every night for the rest of our lives.” She gave Leo a reassuring smile and wave before hopping into the chariot. “Odin, come on!”

Odin got up next to Selena. She gave the horses a sharp nudge and the chariot began to move away, the only sounds in the morning air being the clip-clop of the horse’s hooves on the stone road and the continued goodbyes coming from everyone present.

Once the chariot was long gone into the horizon, Leo dismissed Niles and Camilla sent Beruka home.

“Leo, I’m going to miss them so much,” said Camilla. “I’m sure Effie and Arthur will take great care of us, but…” Camilla started to cry again and Leo dragged her into a brotherly embrace.

“I’m going to miss them too.” Leo choked out through his own tears. Leo and Camilla stayed like this in the square for a few minutes, just holding each other and crying over their departed friends.

“Well, we should probably get back to the castle,” said Leo, wiping away his remaining tears. “I still have a job to do and you still have a wife to attend to.”

Camilla wiped her remaining tears away as well.

“You’re right. Let’s go home.” Leo and Camilla walked arm in arm on their way back to the castle. Leo wasn’t crying anymore, but he knew he wouldn’t feel much better for the rest of the day. He didn’t know which hurt more: the sorrow of saying goodbye, or knowing that he couldn’t show his pain for another long day.


	3. A Royal Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo begins his kingly duties with a meeting with Prince Takumi of Hoshido. Things don't go as planned.

As if the day had not been difficult enough already, Leo was to attend a meeting with Prince Takumi and Princess Sakura over the territorial status of certain pieces of land near the borders of Cheve in a few minutes. Queen Scarlet was to attend, but she had fallen ill that morning and sent Takumi of all people in her stead. 

It was no secret that Takumi and his wife Oboro despised Nohr. Only the Dusk Dragon could know why the Queen would send him to negotiate with Leo. Apparently, it had something to do with them being “Practically twins” or something, according to what Niles was able to overhear when they had attended Ryoma’s coronation. Honestly, Leo took mild offense to that. But he could not let something so childish show, especially as the king of a struggling country. Even if Hoshido had granted much assistance to Nohr, the internal politics of the nation were still in a state of absolute chaos. 

Of course, Nohr’s court had never been a friendly place. Leo may have been a bit more sheltered than his siblings, save Elise, he knew about the horrors of the internal wars of Garon’s concubines. While that may not have been the case for all nobles in Nohr, their reputation as arrogant, cutthroat scoundrels was well known both within Nohr and far past its borders. As a young king, Leo would have to show an image of strength on par with that of his father and elder brother to gain the obedience and respect of the nobles.

But even more unfriendly than the Nohrian court was the infamously prickly Prince Takumi of Hoshido. Leo couldn’t even begin to grasp why people thought they were alike. Takumi was a fiery, emotional, and frankly immature man. His wife, while not quite immature, was also known for having a bit of a hot temper, which turned into a blazing hatred when it came to Nohrians. Leo had no clue where she was staying, but guessed it was in Cyrkensia just so she didn’t have to stay within Nohr’s borders. Leo, in contrast to Takumi, considered himself quiet, serious, and dutiful. Nothing like brash, rude Takumi, who even found room to insult him on the active battlefield.

But it was what it was. He had to meet with Takumi and keep the borders of his country secure like any strong king would. And on the plus side, Princess Sakura would be present as well. She was known to be polite and a model diplomat. At the banquet, she was the only one of the Hoshidan royals other than Corrin that had any interest in speaking with him, even if it was more out of kindness than genuine interest. Leo took a deep breath before opening the door to the castle’s conference room.

Most commoners would think of a conference table as a long, rectangular table lined with dozens of chairs. And in Garon’s council room, that was an accurate description. But Leo had his own conference room set up once he became the new crown prince. It was a smaller, circular table meant to keep a smaller group closer together. It was an idea he got during his stay in Hoshido. This also gave the benefit of making the room more familiar to his guests. 

Two guests were present: Prince Takumi and Princess Sakura. Takumi had obviously kept his dress in his own culture. He was dressed in a black formal kimono and had a surprisingly calm expression. Sakura was trying to fit in a bit more with Nohr and was wearing a long white dress that she no doubt struggled not to trip over. Neither had any retainers present, nor did Leo. It would just be the three of them, for better or for worse.

Leo sat down in his chair at the “head” of the table. As the table was round, the only distinguishing feature of the chair was a gold lining on the wood to mark it as Leo’s. When the room was first being furnished, Niles proposed the image of a tomato be carved on the chair, but Leo shot down the idea very quickly. Inside jokes had no place in rooms that would be used for matters of foreign diplomacy.

He cleared his throat and decided to break the silence. “Hello, Prince Takumi. Hello, Princess Sakura.” He bowed to both of them, as was formal in their homeland. They both bowed back and gave him their own greetings.

“Well, you both know why we have convened today. Now that Cheve has been annexed by Hoshido, there is a dispute as to who has the rights to the West Makarath region.”

Takumi quickly responded. “It belongs to Cheve! Chevois nobility have lived in the area for ages!”

Leo resisted the urge to massage his temples. “Makarath is a province of Nohr. All parts of it are property of the kingdom.”

“Nohr has much more land than Hoshido, even with the addition of Cheve!”

“Well it doesn’t help much when over half of it is wasteland! My nation is starving!”

“And King Ryoma has graciously supplied it with food and water! You OWE us!”

It took all of Leo’s willpower to not slam his fists on the table. “Nohr has given Hoshido enough. We have lost two of my dear siblings, many of our greatest heroes, and an entire territory to the war. The only reason your king even agreed to give us food was because he had Corrin and that traitor Silas with him!”

“Nohr will never give enough for all the Hoshidan blood that has been spilled! Sure, my brother may have agreed to feed your nation to appease Corrin and Silas, but it’s more than any other king would have given you!” Leo knew Takumi was referring to himself. “KING GARON KILLED MY MOTHER!” Takumi suddenly roared. “Nothing will bring her back! Nothing will bring Azura back! The least you can do is give us a shitty piece of your kingdom!”

“Don’t you dare come to my kingdom just to insult the character of my family, status of my lands, and offer empty threats! It’s enough of an insult that YOU were the one sent in the Queen’s stead!”

“And it’s an insult to ME that I have to deal with YOU! How do you think I feel being the one sent to negotiate borders with Nohrian scum!”

“A racist, too? I thought royalty was supposed to be made of stronger stuff. I know bandits with more self control than you!”

Leo and Takumi had been shouting at each other for almost a minute before an ear piercing shout silenced them both.

“STOP IT RIGHT NOW! FIGHTING LIKE CHILDREN WON’T BRING ANYONE BACK AND YOU BOTH KNOW IT!” 

Leo had honestly forgotten Sakura was present. She had been completely silent up until then. He looked in her direction and she was trembling. Her eyes were watery and her tiny hands were clenched into fists. After Takumi and Leo stared in silence for a moment, she put her hands back down and took a deep breath. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scream like that.”

Takumi continued giving his wide-eyed stare, but Leo just sighed. “Don’t be sorry. You were right. Prince Takumi and I were acting like children. In fact, it is us who should be asking for forgiveness. May I ask you for yours?”

“O-of course! I mean, this has been a really hard time for all of us. And for what it’s worth, I could tell your sister Elise was an amazing young woman from when I knew her.”

Leo took a deep breath, realizing he was on the brink of crying for some reason.  _ You’ve already spilled all your anger out. Another emotional outburst and the nobles will have your head.  _

“Thank you, Princess Sakura. I propose we postpone these negotiations until we all have clearer heads. And perhaps next time, Queen Scarlet herself shall be able to attend.”

“A sound idea. I’ll let Corrin know about this, Takumi and I will stay in Cyrkensia until we can resume negotiations.”

Leo had no clue why Takumi would still attend, but he wouldn’t refuse a delay. Perhaps even Takumi would be calmed down by then and they could be civil.

“Well, thank you Sakura. This concludes our meeting for the day. Feel free to stay in the castle for as long as you need.”

“Thank you, King Leo. Your hospitality is appreciated.” Sakura bowed and left the room with Takumi. Leo noticed that they were standing pretty far apart. Chances were Takumi was going to get a very stern talk from Sakura. Leo chuckled at the thought of such a tiny girl chewing out someone as angry as Takumi.

  
Maybe things were going to go right for once.


	4. Moving Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo sets out to rebuild the chain of command in Nohr.

About a week after the disastrous meeting with Takumi, Leo received word from Corrin on how long his delay was before the next meeting. It was an entire month. Leo let a smile crack across his entire face. It was much longer than he expected and most definitely long enough for Queen Scarlet to recover from her illness, meaning that perhaps he wouldn’t have to deal with Takumi after all. But then Leo looked down towards the end of Corrin’s letter. 

“Takumi, Oboro, and Sakura will be staying in Nestra for the next month. All three of them, and hopefully Queen Scarlet as well, shall all attend the negotiations when they resume.” 

Leo resisted the urge to scream when he learned Takumi would return. And to make matter worth, his wife Oboro would be attending. He had never met Takumi’s wife, discounting merely seeing her at his coronation, but he knew she was known for her burning hatred of Nohr. Leo was trying to hide his frustration with Corrin, but evidently he was not doing a very good job.

“What’s bothering you, my liege?” 

Leo hated to admit it, but he had missed Niles the day before. If not only because he might have intimidated Takumi. But then again, there was also the potential that he would have said… things to Princess Sakura. Things Leo didn’t want to be associated with and things Sakura certainly did not need to hear. But Leo knew he could at least confide in the man, strange as he was.

“Ugh. You remember that meeting I had with the Hoshidan prince yesterday, correct?”

“Prince Pineapple? What’s that letter have to do with him?”

Leo groaned at Niles’s awful joke. “Well, long story short, ‘Prince Pineapple’ was a prick and messed everything up until his little sister had to calm things down.”

“Little sister? Oh yeah, the one who got hitched with the rooster ninja?”

“Niles, if you don’t stop making awful jokes about the Hoshidan royals I’m not going to tell you shit.”

“Fine, fine. Anything for my king.” Niles gave a slightly sarcastic bow.

If anyone else did that, Leo would have dismissed them. But he had been dealing with Niles for years and put up with him simply because he was a valuable retainer and good friend. Also, not the kind of person anyone would want as an enemy. “Well, negotiations are postponed and I thought I’d just be dealing with the queen. But for some reason, Corrin feels that I have to deal with Takumi again. And his wife.”

“Oh… oh gods. I’ve been through some real crap in my time, and even I feel bad for you.” Niles gave Leo a friendly slap on the back. “But if anyone can pull through all this, it’s you.”

“Thanks, Niles. Anyways, could you brief me again on what I said I was doing today? Reading that letter got me a bit crabby.”

Niles pulled a scroll out of his cloak and cleared his throat. “Well, you’re up to address the nobles tonight. But before that, you still have to fill in a few positions. We need a new lead tactician, new head general, new leader of border security, new lieutenants to said leader, and a few new court sorcerers.”

“Damn it. That’s a lot. How much time do we have?”

“Hey, don’t sweat it.” said Niles, putting the scroll back. “We have about 10 hours to pick the positions and I made sure to summon all of the candidates you chose to the castle.”

Leo sighed in relief. “Niles, you’re a lifesaver. I will begin meeting with them after breakfast.”

About half an hour later, Leo had finished his breakfast. It was pretty simple by his standards. Just some eggs and sausages. But Leo knew that not every citizen of Nohr had access to good eggs, especially after “Garon” had decided to force all farmers to supply the royal army with their food whenever they requested. When a glutton such as Hans had such a high position, farmers ran out of eggs a lot quicker. And if they didn’t agree to give any away, Hans had a tendency to kill all the chickens and eat them instead. Of course, “Garon” didn’t care, being a disgusting abomination of dark magic that had no right to exist in a mortal world.

Leo opened the door to the chamber he had summoned Arthur, Effie, and Niles to. “Well, you probably both know why you’re here.”

“I’m afraid I do not, King Leo. My apologies.” said Arthur politely.

“There’s only one thing he would want from us right now, you fool.” spat Niles. For some reason, he never got along with Arthur.

“Hey! You leave my husband alone, you one eyed shit!” barked Effie. She was very defensive of her husband. Definitely a good wife for him, especially since he never seemed to defend himself from insults.

As Niles was about to respond, Leo interrupted. “Niles, don’t. Anyways, Arthur, I am sorry. It appears I neglected to tell you. You’re all getting promoted.”

All three retainers let out gasps. Arthur got up and immediately kneeled. “My king, it is a great honor to be worthy in your eyes! May I ask what our new jobs are?”

“You’re all still retainers, but you are getting new jobs as well. Arthur, you are the new leader of our border guard, replacing Lady Daniela. I believe your devotion to justice will serve our kingdom well in keeping our kingdom safe.”

“I will not disappoint you, my king.” replied Arthur. 

“Effie. You are the new head general of our military. I trust you, who have been a dedicated servant of the royal family for years, will serve much better than a brigand picked off the streets.” 

“Trust me. I’m nothing like that bastard Hans. I’ll do my best to make Nohr a nation to be proud of again.”

Leo knew Elise’s servants would do great at these new jobs. They always sought peace, just like his sister. The last people he would want were those hungry for more battle.

“And last but not least, Niles. You are our new head tactician. I trust you will serve better than that worm Iago did.” Leo balled one hand into a fist at his own mention of that name. Even Niles enjoyed the suffering of others less than Iago did. If there was one thing Leo had no regrets about, it was killing that spineless wretch.

“I am honored, King Leo. I promise to be a satisfactory tactician.” Niles gave a little bow.

“I trust all three of you will serve Nohr well in this new era of peace. Do not disappoint me. You are all dismissed for now and have no assignments for the day. Your work starts tomorrow.”

The three newly promoted retainers left the room and Leo told one of the servants to call in the candidates for the other open positions. There were not nearly as many as he thought there would be. Then again, most of the people who would be getting promotions were dead or gone.

Gunter fell down the Bottomless Canyon. Benny and Charlotte fell defending the borders. Silas betrayed his countrymen and was exiled. Peri and Laslow died defending Xander. Selena and Odin had just left. Leo resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands as people filed into the room. There was nothing he could do to bring anyone back. But he could find new people to keep his nation safe. Nohr would never be the same, but it could always move forward.


	5. A Test of Character

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo make sure he hasn't misjudged again.

Finding the right people for most of the open jobs was easy. However, the positions in the Court of Sorcerers had proven difficult to fill. He had twelve of the thirteen sorcerers required for a full court- he had decided to leave an empty spot in Odin’s honor. But he and Arthur had devised a test to make sure none of the new sorcerers were like Zola or Iago. They would enter Iago’s library and each sorcerer had a task. They were to take a single tome to use as their own personal one and a single tome to burn. Which was which spoke a lot about the character of each one.

In truth, it was almost entirely Arthur’s idea. Leo needed a solution and Arthur, ever thirsty to preserve justice, came up with a plan surprisingly quick. Maybe he should replace Niles, Leo humorously mused to himself. Of course, Niles did not have any military campaign to run yet, so it would be unfair to judge him so soon. Leo, Arthur, and the twelve sorcerers entered the dusty library. After a while of not being used, the place was covered in cobwebs and smelled of old books and stale air. It belonged in one of the horror novels Odin would always recommend to Leo and Niles. The kind that Leo would be unable to sleep over, but he would never admit to that. Hell, he was pretty sure not even Niles knew about that.

Leo put aside his feelings of mild fear and along with Arthur, turned around and backed up for the group of twelve to be able to easily see. Applying a mild voice amplification spell, he began to speak.

“You have all been chosen as members of my court for a very specific reason. You all know what that is, correct?”

Leo saw the hand of the smallest mage rise up. What was her name again? Nik? Nicks? Nyx.

“It is because with our military greatly reduced in the war, we are the most gifted mages left in Nohr.”

“That is only one reason. If it was only because of that, I wouldn’t have executed Iago myself.” The group fidgeted a bit at the mention of said incident. It was something Leo was glad wasn’t a secret. It made people take him seriously. Even if he was frightened on the inside, he could make himself a bit frightening at the mere mention of Iago’s death. “I picked you all because I believe that you are not only talented, but also have the virtue of not being bottom-feeding worms eating scraps from our sewage. Or even worse, Iago or Zola. General Arthur has created a test to assure that I was not mistaken.”

Arthur cleared his throat. “Alright. Each of you have a simple task. You will each take two books each. One of them will be your personal tome. The other one will be burned. Lord Leo and I trust that you will make the right choices. Your test begins… now!”

Leo watched the sorcerers run in different directions through the library. They were all adults, even Nyx, but they looked like children in a toy shop. Leo remembered his own childhood. He was spared most of the horrors of the court, but it was at a price. He was very sheltered and never got to go to any toy store. Of course, he had no right to complain about his early years. He was of royal blood and immensely talented, two things that many people could not say. But then again, not many people could claim to have as much emotional baggage as him either, even in a nation as hard to live in as Nohr. Now, he had a lot more to worry about. But he knew he couldn’t just complain, that was what a child would do.

Arthur broke the silence. “Milord, who do you think will pass the test?”

“Hmmm… Nyx, probably. She claims that she formerly used dark magic like a child version of Iago would, but then she… ‘woke up.’ I’m sure that has to do with her… condition. Plus, she’s been practically invisible for years. I’m sure she wouldn’t lose this opportunity to make a name for herself.”

“I agree. But that Oren, though… I don’t know about her.”

Oren was one of the other mages. She apparently worked with Zola many a time and was eager to take his position. Leo didn’t like her, but she was incredibly skilled. However, she was one of the main reasons there needed to be a test in the first place. He couldn’t risk another Iago or Zola if he wanted peace with Hoshido.

Arthur spoke up again. “But I think we need to have faith in her, just like we should with all our recruits today. This kingdom wasn’t built on doubts, you know.”

“Huh. That’s right, of course. But it’s still pretty hard to see light when the sun doesn’t even shine over us. Especially in times like right now.”

“Well, you need to think of other ways to see light. The sun isn’t the only way, you know.”

Leo was sensing that perhaps this “sun” wasn’t literal. “Arthur, I think I know where this conversation is heading. As much as I would genuinely love to continue it, it appears our little test is ending.”

The twelve mages all stood in a semicircle around Arthur and Leo, holding two tomes each. 

Leo cleared his throat. “I see you have all returned. Nyx, you begin. Show me both of your tomes and tell me which one you’re keeping, which one you’re burning, and tell me why.”

“The one I am keeping is Excalibur. I am keeping it because it is a powerful tome worthy of protecting this nation. I am burning Tithonus. It is a tome that grants immortality, but at a cost… a cost I know too well. Nobody else deserves this curse. I made my mistakes.”

After the surprisingly personal story, Leo didn’t know what to say. So he simply nodded his approval.

Ten more sorcerers presented their tomes. Surprisingly, all of them ended up passing the test. But there was one final recruit: Oren. If anyone was going to fail the test, he betted it would be her.

“Oren. You are the final one to present your choices to me. I hope that you do not disappoint me.”

Oren visibly resisted the urge to scoff. “The tome I am keeping is Thoron. It contains powerful and rare spellwork. The tome I am burning is… this.”

Oren held out a dusty purple tome with no name. But Leo knew what it was. It was Iago’s personal tome, a book of dark and forbidden spells that were linked to the “Anankos” that killed his father.

“I have no desire to repeat the mistakes of Zola and Iago. I’m glad I never have to work with those worms again.” 

Leo was surprised, as she had worked with them both very much. But then again, he didn’t always like the people he worked with either. 

“Well, I must give you all my congratulations,” said Leo. “You have all passed this test. May you all bring Nohr into a new, glorious age! You are all dismissed for the day. The servants will guide you to your new chambers. 

After the excited chattering of the new court sorcerers died down, Leo turned to Arthur. “You want to talk. I can tell.”

“Of course, milord. I’ve noticed you were just as surprised as me when Oren passed. But… you’re still suspicious of her.”

Leo sighed. “You’re right. I’m just wondering if she simply read the challenge and gave us the answers she knew we would want. I want to trust her, but… ugh. You know where that got me.”

Arthur gave Leo a pat on the back. “My king, please. I know the war has been hard on you. It’s been hard for me, too. But before the war, I always knew you weren’t always the most trusting boy. But you just don’t trust anyone anymore.”

“Arthur, that’s not true. I trust you, Effie, Niles, Camilla, Beruka, Od-” Leo cut himself off and took a deep breath. “You know what I mean. But, yes. Times have been hard on me, especially since two of the people I trusted just left me. I suppose loss is just what I was destined for.”

“My liege, I know it isn’t my place, but… I really think that you need some more time with me, Effie, and even Niles. I think the war has weighed on us all.”

“You’re right. I’ve lost enough. I don’t need to lose myself.”


	6. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A turn of fortunes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delayed release! I just got back from my vacation in the Outer Banks and I got a bit distracted. Plus, the burden of Summer Reading is really beginning to weigh on me, AP makes me read FOUR BOOKS with severely limited choice.

“Well, I don’t think I need to ask why you called me to the throne room.” 

“You don’t,” said Leo. “I feel like we need to finish our conversation from earlier today. What was it you said? Ah, yes… finding other sources of light without the sun. We both know what you were talking about.”

“Yes… I’m not going to beat around the bush here. I know the deaths of Lady Elise and Lord Xander have been hard on both of us.”

“Yes. I’d hate to be insensitive to your troubles, but I feel that their deaths have had a bigger impact on me than most others.”

“No offense taken. They were your siblings, and I understand Xander was your role model since childhood, just as you were… to Elise.”

Leo did not expect to be surprised, but he was. “She… looked up to ME?”

“Yes, of course! She always talked about how she wanted to be as smart and talented as her older brother!”

“Are you sure she wasn’t talking about Xander?”

“I don’t believe Xander used magic. Elise was rather specific on your amazing magical prowess.”

“O-oh.” Leo was trying not to tear up, but he could tell he was failing. “I guess not seeing that was another failure on my part. Just another thing to add to the list.”

“No, my liege! You must not dwell on the small things. Imagine if Elise saw you like this!”

“I suppose she would be upset. But what of Xander? He would probably be disappointed in me as a leader. A poor, sniveling mess of a leader. Ugh, I don’t deserve this crown.”

Arthur got up from his kneeling position. “If I may be so bold, I think I have found the problem!”

Leo was surprised by Arthur’s sudden response. “What is it?”

“Leo, imagine what Xander WOULD say! He wouldn’t tell you you’re a failure. He’d tell you to stop trying to be him!”

Leo sat up a little bit more as the tears began to run. “Why would a king want to be anything other than him? He was a model ruler even without the crown!”

“Leo, not all kings have to be the same. Nohr has had hundreds of kings, not all of them like Xander. You can’t grow as a ruler if you’re just imitating someone else! And you can’t grow as a person either!”

Leo wiped the tears from his face. “You’re right. But what do I do to move on from his and Elise’s deaths?” 

Arthur sighed. “It’s been hard on me too. I think we just need time. Time to reconnect with the good things in life. Time with friends, time with our loved ones that remain.”

“Arthur, what did I do to deserve you? Gods know you don’t deserve me, it must just be your usual bad luck, serving such a childish king.”

“Listen… I may have awful luck, but serving your family has been the greatest stroke of luck I’ve ever had.”

“How do you always know exactly what to say? It’s no wonder Elise looked up to you so much.” Leo grinned, something that didn’t happen much anymore.

“Leo, I’ve been serving your family since before little Azura was gone. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I couldn’t tell when something was wrong.”

“Well… I suppose we should both be on our way now. Usually I would go do something with Odin and Niles, but… Odin’s gone. And hanging out with just Niles isn’t exactly fun.”

“I didn’t need to ask why I was invited here, but maybe you might have a question about the scroll I’ve been carrying.”

Leo didn’t even notice the scroll before. “W-well, what’s in it?”

“It’s a message. From my lieutenant border guards. King Garon’s chariot has been sighted crossing into Nohr.”

Leo’s eyes widened. “W-was it stolen?”

Arthur now had the biggest smile on his face. “No. Odin and Selena are coming back.”

"About a week, milord. Make sure to take that day off, you wouldn't want to miss their return!"

 

A week had passed. Leo got up out of his bed, got dressed, and quickly ate his breakfast before leaving the castle. He had no plans for the day- no plans but meeting his friends again.

Leo stood and waited in the center of Wilhelm Square, standing right where he last said goodbye to Odin and Selena. He realized he had forgotten to summon Niles, Camilla, and Beruka. But that didn’t matter to him in the moment. This was not an affair of state to him, but an affair of friendship. He had not even prepared to go out in public as king. Many of the citizens of the capital simply stared in wonder as he ran down the streets of Nohr like any commoner would. There was no mask, but no shame either. In that moment, he was one of them. Just a man meeting with an old friend.

Over the horizon, Leo saw the shape of the chariot, horses still strong and well fed. He heard the clip-clop of hooves on cobblestone and the voice of Odin in the distance, no doubt being melodramatic as always. But Leo could sense a certain sadness even from his distance.

As the chariot rolled up again, Leo was barely containing his excitement. 

At last, it stopped in front of him and he saw Odin and Selena dismount. Leo disregarded everything as he ran up to his friend. Kingliness be damned, he missed him too much to be formal.

But then Leo noticed a sadness on Odin’s face… and he remembered why he had left in the first place.

“You… decided not to go home?”

Odin rubbed the moisture from his eyes. “While Selena and I were leaving, we saw Nohr all around us. People were starving. Dying. Forced to become criminals to scrape up enough money to even live. This kingdom needs us. And you needed us. It was selfish to leave you in your worst hour. I’m sorry.”

Selena spoke up after Odin. “Y-yeah. Me too. Do you think Lady Camilla will take me back as her retainer?”

It was unlike Selena to sound so openly emotional. Leo knew she and Odin had made a very hard choice in coming back. “Of course! And Odin, don’t you worry either. I left a seat in the Court of Sorcerers open in your honor. It looks like you can actually claim it now…”

Leo was going to keep talking, but he noticed Odin was still visibly upset. “Wait… did something happen to you?”

“N-no. It’s just, I already told you about how we saw Nohr on our way back home. But it also came with the realization that there’s a lot of people we can’t see again. And also that… we weren’t needed at home. Of course, our friends and families will miss us… but we were still outcasts. I don’t know where Selena and I belong anymore.”

Leo put his hand on Odin’s shoulder. “Odin… you’ll always belong here. No matter where you come from, you’re my friend. And not just mine. Hell, I’m sure even Niles missed you. No, scratch that. I KNOW he did.”

“So… you’ll take me back? Me and Selena?”

Leo dragged Odin into an embrace. “Of course.”

Leo noticed there were peasants all around him and Odin. But he didn’t care. And he noticed that they were saluting. Maybe hiding his feelings wasn’t so necessary after all.


	7. A Natural Leader

Ever since Odin and Selena came back, Leo noticed that he was able to think much more clearly. But it also made him realize that he only had about a week and a half to finish his plans for when the negotiations with Hoshido resumed. After all, maintaining order in West Makarath was Arthur’s problem- and Arthur didn’t complain about it, so Leo didn’t have the area on the top of his head. And with that, Leo panicked again.

But there was no time to panic- a week and a half was plenty of time to plan something among peasants, but no time at all to decide on how the lines on the maps would be drawn for the rest of his reign and most likely in the future.

However, after cooling down, Leo knew that there wasn’t a need to panic either. He may not have given off as much kingly vibes as Xander, but if there was one thing he knew, it was politics. Well, politics, magic, and tomatoes. But for once, Leo had his chance to shine- and prove to the nobles that he could handle his job better than any of them.

A week and a half passed in the blink of an eye. With very little bit of help from Niles, Odin, and Arthur, Leo was able to come up with his plan to solve the Hoshido-Nohr border issue once and for all. 

Once again, Leo took his seat at the golden-lined chair at the round conference table. The same table where he argued with Takumi a month ago. Once again, Takumi and Sakura were there, dressed more or less the same as the last time. But Queen Scarlet was also present, wearing a red formal kimono despite her Chevois heritage. As well as a “Surprise” guest… King Juvenal of Nesta. Of course, nobody questioned his presence. His kingdom shared borders with the disputed territory, but he never made any moves to claim it despite the damage his kingdom sustained in the war. Leo had realized his mistake in not inviting him the first time, but the King did not seem offended by the lack of invitation, especially since the first meeting proved fruitless anyways.

This time, it was Takumi who broke the silence by clearing his throat. “I would like to begin this meeting by apologizing for my behavior last time. It was unprofessional and left a poor impression of my kingdom. I request that you forgive me for my unpleasant behavior.” He had spoken in a stilted and forced way, but Leo noticed Sakura and Scarlet staring daggers at the youngest prince of Hoshido. There was no doubt that they made him say it.

“I accept your apology, Prince Takumi. Now, I believe it is time to let this meeting commence. Queen Scarlet, would you like to begin by restating the reason for your claim on the West Makarath region?”

Queen Scarlet straightened her posture a bit and cleared her throat. “Despite technically being a historic territory of Nohr, West Makarath has always had a higher Chevois population than Nohrian. Several noble families of Cheve even lived there until the war, when they were forced to relocate. And due to damages sustained in Hoshido and Cheve, we find it appropriate that as compensation, we receive the region.”

Sakura nodded in admiration at the Queen and her new sister in law. Then again, after Takumi’s disastrous attempt to claim the territory, anything would be admirable. 

Leo nodded to King Juvenal, who had remained silent and was seated next to him, then gave his own proposal. “Last time we attempted to negotiate, I requested that Nohr keep the region despite being the aggressors of the war. At the time, I had felt that Hoshido was withholding food from my nation, which had spurred the war. But self-pity led to nothing but bickering, which is something I believe we have all had enough of now that the war is over. However, I still oppose giving it to Hoshido.”

Takumi clenched one of his fists, but Sakura gave him a sharp jab in the ribs with her elbow. Leo held back a grin at Sakura, such a tiny girl, reprimanding her prickly older brother. After taking a breath to stifle a giggle, he continued on. “There are two reasons for this. One is the unrest in my country. Despite being at peace with Hoshido, my country is still very much at war with itself. The nobles are more interested in putting on some ridiculous show-and-tell to get me to favor them than actually rebuilding. With the destruction caused by the Hoshidan army and certain higher ranking members of King Garon’s army, crime has increased greatly in poorer areas. I believe it would cause greater unrest and bitterness towards Hoshido among my populace if we gave away West Makarath to you. However, I am still for giving it to another country. However, this country is Nestra.” Leo motioned to Juvenal, who began to speak.

“My country has sustained damage in the war as well. After being used as a port by the late Captain Hans, many people were unfortunately murdered in cold blood for petty reasons. This was not authorized by the crown, but King Garon never opposed it or reprimanded Hans. Also, the Hoshidan army ended up causing significant destruction in their attempt to assassinate the king at Cyrkensia. Both kingdoms have caused damage to my nation. King Leo has kindly agreed to compensate me for this loss on his behalf and Cheve’s by giving my nation the West Makarath territory.”

Leo expected a reaction from Takumi, but there was none. Instead, it was Queen Scarlet who spoke next. “You know what? I didn’t consider that. Sorry, King Jay.” Leo expected an indignant remark, but Juvenal just gave a knowing nod and smile. It appears that the two monarchs had been acquainted. After all, Queen Scarlet did opt to have a trip to the Cyrkensia Opera House after being married to King Ryoma. She continued to speak. “As much as Hoshido and Cheve have gone through crap, Nestra really does need that land more. Feel free to visit Hoshido any time!”

“It would be an honor, Queen Scarlet. Now, I believe our business is finished? I should meet with my advisors at my chambers to inform them of the outcome of this meeting.”

“Of course. You are free to be excused,” replied Leo. Juvenal got up from his chair and walked out of the room. Leo continued. “If you wish, you may leave as well, Queen Scarlet.” 

“Well, I’m gonna leave in a little bit. But I just wanted to say good job! Since we’re both knew to this whole head of state thing, I’d just like to compliment you. You’re a lot more of a natural than I was!”

Leo didn’t even bother resisting the urge to beam at the compliment. “Thank you very much, Queen Scarlet. It is an honor to hear that from you, your majesty.”

After they said their goodbyes, Leo noticed Takumi and Sakura had not left with their queen.

Sakura whispered something to Takumi before uttering a quick yet polite goodbye and leaving the room. Takumi wiped some sweat off his forehead before speaking. “Li-listen, your majesty. I really am sorry for last time. Do you mind if I drop the whole formal act?”

“Not really. The nobles aren’t hear to crucify me for talking like a normal person without a stick up their ass, so we’re fine.”

Takumi snorted with amusement before continuing. “I was a total dick last time. We both lost a lot and I took it all out on you, forgetting you lost just as much. Maybe more. Corrin talked to me about you a bit more and, well… I think we might actually have more in common than we thought. Do you think we can, you know… start over? Be friends?”

Leo grinned a bit. “Of course. We both lost a lot, and we both got mad. After all, we’re only nineteen. We shouldn’t have had to go through all of this so young, but we both survived. We both lost some things, gained some things, and things aren’t the same for either of us. But we have to keep moving forward.”

Takumi smiled and extended his hand. “Friends?”

Leo accepted it. “Friends.”

“Oh, before I leave. I’d like to say that’s a really cool chair you have.”

“Thanks! By the way, it’s not actually real gold- I’m not that wasteful. It’s actually just the same wood that we use for the rest of the chairs, but I used a tome from the royal library to harden and dye it.”

“Cool! But that wasn’t what I was talking about.”

“Huh?”

“The little symbol on the back. I don’t know what it is, but I like it.”

Leo’s heart rate increased a bit as he looked at the back of the chair. Oh gods… no.

“Th-thank you. Well, it’s been a pleasure speaking to you, but I must inform the nobles of the border change.”

“It’s been nice speaking to you, too. Goodbye.” As Takumi walked away, Leo looked at the chair again. 

It was exactly what he thought it was. A small red tomato, carved and painted into the back of the chair. Leo looked around the hallway outside the room to make sure nobody was watching. Then, as he looked back to the tomato on the chair, he could only find one thing to say. 

“DAMN IT, NILES!”


	8. Such Sweet Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo gets closure.

About a month after finishing the negotiations with Hoshido and Nestra, Leo found that his job was coming much easier to him. There wasn't much war, trade with Hoshido meant poverty and crime were decreasing at a steady pace, and his retainers were doing their newly appointed jobs excellently. Nohr was beginning to recover. Light was breaking through the gloom that covered Nohr for so long. And Leo had himself to thank.

However, Leo still knew what was missing in his life. He would've loved to hear Xander's praise on his growth, even if it wouldn't make sense for Leo to be king with the crown prince still alive. He wanted Elise to see how he had "stopped being such a jerk" and made peace with his nation's most bitter enemy. But he couldn't. Of course, he didn't hide these feelings anymore. But they were still there and still hurt.

The first anniversary of their death was coming soon. And for the first time in a bit, Leo sat on his bed and quietly wept. He told a servant that he was not to be disturbed. As much as opening up had helped to fix his emotional state, there were just some times that he needed to be alone. And he was sure Arthur and Effie were crying just as much as him. Maybe even Odin- and by extension, possibly even Selena. Niles would never have cried, but Leo knew in his heart that even the cold-hearted thief would at least feel some form of sorrow. Even if they weren't together at all times, this was one time they would all be together in grief.

The first anniversary had officially come. Leo had opted against a public event, instead giving workers the day off and deciding it to be a day of quiet mourning for the kingdom. But even so, Leo was not alone. He had arranged for a small private ceremony with a few trusted people. Present in the field of flowers in the Nohr castle where Elise, Xander, and even Garon were buried were Camilla, Beruka, Effie, Arthur, Odin, Selena, Niles, and even Corrin to accompany Leo.

Leo stood in front of the three headstones while the rest of the group let out their emotions in their own ways. He considered giving a speech, but there was nothing to say that would be meaningful for everyone. Everyone present was teary-eyed at best. Corrin was weeping before Elise's headstone. Arthur was trying to keep his composure and failing while Effie cried into his shoulder. Odin and Selena simply sat on the stairs, visibly sad- Laslow had died on this day as well. Camilla was sobbing almost as hard as when she first saw Elise dead on the castle floor, buried in Beruka's embrace. Even Niles stood off in the distance looking slightly upset.

For his part, Leo simply let the tears fall down his face silently. Leo ended up not exchanging words with anyone. But between the displays of emotion and knowing looks, Leo knew he was not alone. No words were needed- or even available- to describe Leo's sorrow, and sometimes talking would just make things worse. Eventually, a few servants quietly brought some tables with food out.

Once the food was gone, mostly thanks to Effie's stress eating, most of the people present left. Corrin was the last to leave before Leo. They didn't say anything. Perhaps it was better that way. Corrin may have been a complete dunce at times, but even he knew when not to pick Leo's wounds. Leo still stood in front of the headstones long after everyone else had retired to their chambers. He wiped his tears away and finally spoke.

"Hello, Xander. Hello, Elise. Hello… father."

The tombstones did not respond.

"I don't know if you can hear me from wherever you are now, but… I just want to tell you that I'm ready to move on now. I'll never forget any of you, but I know if any of you are to rest in peace, I have to stay strong. I can't let everything you worked for go to waste."

There was still no response, but Leo felt a weight lifting off of him.

"And… and father…." Leo's tears were coming back. "I know all those things that happened in the war… they weren't you. And I'm sorry for hating you all that time."

Leo was sniffling and his eyes were beginning to burn from the tears being shed.

"And I know I have to stay strong to do what you couldn't. And… Xa-Xander. I'm sorry for not understanding why you stood by father. I'm sorry I couldn't save him and make us a family again. But I swear to you that I will do right and make Nohr a place to be proud of again."

Leo turned to Elise's gravestone.

"And Elise. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for stealing your toys, I'm sorry for using the age card in all of our arguments, and I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed me. I should've done something to make you feel like you had a family instead of running off into the woods to cry. But now I will make the peaceful world you always wanted a reality."

Leo grabbed a spare napkin off of the table and blew his nose, then wiped his tears away with his hand.

"I promise to all of you. I promise that I will move forward. I promise that Nohr will move forward. And I promise that the ideals you all stood by won't die. I swear… I swear it on my memories of you. Because even though you're gone now… those memories with you are the best I have. Thank you… thank you for helping me to become someone strong enough to survive all of this."

Leo knew the gravestones would never respond, but he swore he could hear Elise's laugh somewhere on the wind. And for the first time in months, Leo felt truly at peace. He smiled, even as the last tears slid down his cheeks. Suddenly, the crown on his head didn't feel so heavy anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's finally done! I'm glad to be able to say that my first experience writing and publishing fanfiction was a good one. And honestly, I can't thank my readers enough for that. Not sure what I'll be writing next, but I have a few ideas. Thank you for reading.
> 
> -Crawclaw


End file.
